Hello everyone! We’re KOKOROMI, a videogames/art collective originally formed in Montreal in 2006. We’re excited to be here today on PlayStation.Blog to announce our new VR game at E3 2015.

Introducing SUPERHYPERCUBE — a first-person puzzler developed by KOKOROMI and published by POLYTRON, coming exclusively to Project Morpheus at launch!

SUPERHYPERCUBE has been in development in one form or another since 2008. It was originally created for gamma3D, an event we organized to encourage game makers from around the world to create games in which stereoscopic (3D) vision truly impacted gameplay.

All the gamma3D games relied on a display technology called anaglyphic stereoscopy – think of those cool 50s style red/blue 3D movie glasses.

Our “in-house” game, SUPERHYPERCUBE, went one step further, introducing headtracking using custom glasses based on the work of Johnny Chung Lee, so that players not only saw depth within the game world, they could physically move their bodies and look around the cubes and clusters to get a better sense of their size and shape.

When motion cameras were eventually introduced, we re-visited the way headtracking worked within the game (earning an Indiecade finalist nod in the process), but were still dependent on red/cyan 3D glasses to create a powerful visual depth effect. In many ways, we’ve been watching technology develop over the last seven years to support our original gameplay vision—a truly physical puzzle game that is both fully enveloping and plays with your perception.

And so, when VR came along (again), we knew the game had found its true home.

Since looking at the game through red and blue lenses altered the perception of other colors in the game, the first iteration of SUPERHYPERCUBE looked best and had the cleanest 3D effect when it was rendered entirely in greyscale. One of the exciting possibilities opened up for us by Morpheus is that for the first time, we can finally go far beyond the chromatic limitations of that technology and really explore color.

Aesthetically, this VR version of SUPERHYPERCUBE is influenced by our love for all things glowing, epitomized by neon light, 80s motion graphics, early computer art and the minimalist art movement known as “light and space”. Artists grouped in this genre worked with surfaces of different materials, and using neon, LEDs, and sunlight, to create abstract work and spaces which might change over time or when viewed from different angles. We want to give players an experience something like flying or floating through one of these works.

In the early visual development for the game, we collected a reference file folder full of photos, illustrations, and film stills from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. We all love this aesthetic in general, but we each have our favorite references, especially from iconic films – everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner to Xanadu — their analog special effects, retro-futuristic user interfaces and delicious lens flares. We created a series of concept illustrations that were inspired by light and space artist James Turrell, inhabited by our game’s own cubes and walls, and have been building upon this aesthetic ever since.

We couldn’t be more excited to finally bring this concept to its logical, virtual conclusion.

We hope you’re excited too!

Please look for SUPERHYPERCUBE when it launches with Project Morpheus next year.

<3 KOKOROMI

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/06/16/superhypercube-coming-exclusively-to-project-morpheus/feed/12http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/superhyper.jpg1.82Lead Account Manager, SCEA120Spelunky Update: New Features Now Live on PS4, PS3, Vitahttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/11/10/spelunky-update-new-features-now-live-on-ps4-ps3-vita/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/11/10/spelunky-update-new-features-now-live-on-ps4-ps3-vita/#commentsMon, 10 Nov 2014 19:19:30 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=144039With Spelunky finally making its glorious PS4 debut last month – hopefully you were able to grab it free in PlayStation Plus while it lasted! – there are more explorers than ever plumbing the depths of the jungle, battling incensed shopkeepers, and dying in an endless cavalcade of unexpected and hilarious ways.

For those new players still feeling overwhelmed, be sure to check out my Survival Guide from last year; a few basic tips go a long way, and the experience is even more fun when you’re sharing tactics and stories of your travels with friends.

Speaking of sharing, you may have noticed that the PS4 has a few killer new features, including the ability to watch full replays of anyone’s Daily Challenge run straight from the leaderboards, as well as seeing where your friends died (and what killed them) in the Daily Challenge, represented by their ghost. I’m thrilled to be able to announce that those features have been added to the PS3 and PS Vita versions, available now via a free update!

Not only that, but all three versions have also been updated to allow you to fast-forward Daily Challenge replays (with a very cool VHS-style effect, no less), as well as a few minor fixes including synchronization of LAN multiplayer. Finally, Vita has always secretly been the coolest version since you can play without a tethered camera in multiplayer, and this update also contains full PlayStation TV support for up to four players!

To recap the updates that are live now (note that you’ll only see the replay changes starting with tomorrow’s run, which rolls over at 4pm PST today):

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/11/10/spelunky-update-new-features-now-live-on-ps4-ps3-vita/feed/33http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spelunkylead.jpg3.51Lead Account Manager, SCEA3312PlayStation Blogcast 096: Extra Liveshttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/11/02/playstation-blogcast-096-extra-lives/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/11/02/playstation-blogcast-096-extra-lives/#commentsSun, 03 Nov 2013 03:36:13 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=119752Subscribe via iTunes or RSS, or download here
With just weeks until PS4's launch in North America, we check in on NBA 2K14's next-generation court, learn how to help children's hospitals with Extra Life, share new game releases for November 15th and more!]]>

With just weeks until PS4’s launch in North America, we check in on NBA 2K14’s next-generation court, learn how to help children’s hospitals with Extra Life, share new game releases for November 15th and more!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/11/02/playstation-blogcast-096-extra-lives/feed/25http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Blogcast-Logo-New.jpg3.87Lead Account Manager, SCEA250Surviving Spelunky: Tips for a Successful Expedition on PS3 & Vitahttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/09/17/surviving-spelunky-tips-for-a-successful-expedition-on-ps3-vita/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/09/17/surviving-spelunky-tips-for-a-successful-expedition-on-ps3-vita/#commentsTue, 17 Sep 2013 17:14:24 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=115780Spelunky you've played thus far - available now on PS Vita and PS3, Cross-Buy / Cross-Save / Cross-Play for $14.99 - you probably fall somewhere between thinking it's a neat but masochistic experience, to a brilliantly crafted work of evil genius and one of the best things you've played in years.]]>Hello, fellow Spelunkers! Depending on how much Spelunky you’ve played thus far – available now on PS Vita and PS3, Cross-Buy / Cross-Save / Cross-Play for $14.99 – you probably fall somewhere between thinking it’s a neat but masochistic experience, to a brilliantly crafted work of evil genius and one of the best things you’ve played in years. I’m firmly in the latter camp at this point, playing in every spare moment and endlessly iterating my strategies on my quest to see the game’s true ending.

Along the way, I’ve amassed a mental library of tips and tricks, both from my own playthroughs and from watching some friends in the indie developer community perform masterful runs of their own. For those just starting out, I’ve penned a list of some basic tips to shorten the time between Spelunky being the game you love to hate, and the game you just outright love.

ABC: Always Be Carrying. A rock, a rat, a broken arrow – make sure you’re carrying something at all times, especially in the Mines (the first world). You’ll face arrow traps left and right, and tossing or dropping anything in their path will set them off, rendering them completely harmless. Once you get good at throwing diagonally (just aim and throw), rocks will be your best friend against bats and spiders as well. Never leave a level empty-handed, either; you can bring most objects between levels, so grab something on the way out to prepare for what may greet you at the start of the next stage.

Always look down. You should never drop off a ledge if you don’t know what’s below you, but it’s easy enough to find out. While you’re standing or hanging, just hold up or down to pan the camera in that direction. You’ll eventually get used to how far you can fall without getting hurt, but for now you can at least avoid impaling yourself on spikes. (And don’t forget that hanging off of a ledge before you drop will save you one square of fall distance.)

Learn the Spelunky economy. This one is a bit subjective, but I find that rescuing the damsel is almost never worth a bomb, or even a rope. The majority of your deaths will be from one-hit instakills (spikes, explosions, mantraps, etc.), so having extra health usually doesn’t mean much – whereas precious bombs and ropes will be your key to accessing the truly important items like the jetpack and shotgun, and getting yourself out of endless jams. Conversely, the wooden boxes that hold a mystery item are almost always worth a bomb to get to, since you’ll generally be rewarded threefold with more bombs or ropes, or something even better if you’re lucky.

Predictability is your friend. The spring boots are great for some extra pep in your step, but until you’ve mastered the default jumping physics, they’re probably just going to get you killed. The cape is one of the best items in the game once you get used to it, but you’ll probably control your descent right into the mouth of a waiting mantrap a few times first. Same with the sticky bombs. And the shotgun. I don’t say this to dissuade you from trying all of the items and spending the time to master them – I just recommend easing into it, and don’t grab something you’ve never used before in the middle of an otherwise fantastic run, as it’ll just get you dead.

Risk assessment! That’s what the game is all about, really. Spelunky is a constant decision tree where preventable death lies at the end of most branches. Is that emerald really worth going into the beehive for? Is that jump you’re not sure about really worth it to rescue a damsel? A kiss is worth nothing when you’re dead. Play methodically, play smartly, and don’t push your luck when you’re on a good run. Along these same lines, don’t bother killing an enemy if they’re not in your way and don’t pose an obvious risk – there’s no benefit (not even score, which is measured only in time and wealth), and you’re just upping your chance of getting hurt.

Let the level do the work. Run past spiders then turn around and whip them after they drop. Set off spear traps before you cross their path, as discussed above. Whip every clay pot and pile of bones from a full square away before you walk past them. For the spiked tiki traps in world 2, jump in place two squares away from them, then while the spikes are retracting, climb on up. Let spiders and frogs jump next to you or over you before you deal with them, if it makes things easier. In general, if you can set off traps and let things come to you instead of rushing headfirst to your death, you’ll be a much happier, more successful spelunker.

Practice practice practice. If you can bring the Tunnel Man that hangs out at the end of each world the three items he requires, you’ll open up shortcuts to each of the later worlds, allowing you to dive directly into them when you start. This is great for practicing worlds 3 and 4 especially, which are both a lot less scary than they seem at first blush. World 3 especially is a nice place to cool down (har har) after the hectic world 2 once you get used to it, so know that it gets easier before it gets harder again. Lastly, while I’ve never been able to consistently fight the urge to restart after every death, I find that limiting yourself to just one run a day will force you to focus and make smart decisions during that valuable run, and build a nice routine.

Don’t anger the shopkeepers… yet. Robbing the shops eventually becomes an important ingredient to Hell runs, but if you’re reading this you’re probably not anywhere near there yet. So buy things politely with a smile, don’t engage enemies within the shops, and don’t grab the gold idol in the Mines if there’s any chance that the shop could be somewhere below it. Until you learn to consistently deal with the angry contingent of shopkeepers that will await you in all future levels, it’s not worth it.

Play co-op! Or at the very least, alternate runs with a couch buddy. It’s a ton of fun, and seeing how other people play can really open your mind. Just be careful with that co-op shotgun!

Yesterday, we asked for your Spelunky tips, and you responded in kind with a bevy of expert advice — some of which we weren’t even aware of! Some highlights:

@PlayStation#Spelunky try getting the ghost to fly over some gems. They'll turn into diamonds! Just be sure to have an escape plan!

I hope this has been a helpful start for budding adventurers. If you’re already an expert, leave more tips in the comments below! I’m also happy to field any and all questions there – you will defeat Olmec — it’s just a matter of time. And that’s when the game really opens up.

P.S. Special thanks to Doug Wilson of Sportsfriends for contributing some great ideas and for making sure I wasn’t crazy.

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/09/17/surviving-spelunky-tips-for-a-successful-expedition-on-ps3-vita/feed/27http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/spelunky.jpg4.53Lead Account Manager, SCEA277PlayStation Blogcast: Live at PAX! This Weekend! Come See Us!http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/29/playstation-blogcast-live-at-pax-this-weekend-come-see-us/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/29/playstation-blogcast-live-at-pax-this-weekend-come-see-us/#commentsThu, 29 Aug 2013 19:01:57 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=114660Blogcast going up today. Good news: it’s because we’re doing it LIVE, BABY! This very weekend at PAX – specifically, at 12:30pm on Saturday 8/31, in the Pegasus Theater. It’s our very first live episode, and we figure we may as well make it as terrifying as possible by doing it in front of a room full of strangers. So please, come be one of those strangers!]]>Bad news first: there isn’t a new Blogcast going up today. Good news: it’s because we’re doing it LIVE, BABY! This very weekend at PAX – specifically, at 12:30pm on Saturday 8/31, in the Pegasus Theater. It’s our very first live episode, and we figure we may as well make it as terrifying as possible by doing it in front of a room full of strangers. So please, come be one of those strangers!

Join us for our very first live podcast, farm fresher than ever! All the nerdy game talk and lame puns you’ve come to expect, crowd Q&A, live Mystery Themes with prizes, and much more! Hosts Sid Shuman and Nick Suttner (and a special guest or two!) will be rocking the mic, so come help us make this thing awesome! Bring your PlayStation love and your best Blasto cosplay.

PEGASUS THEATRE

SATURDAY 8/31 12:30PM – 1:30PM

If you’re not lucky/savvy enough to find yourself in Seattle, we should be able to record it and post the audio later, but no promises. And really, you’ll want to be there in person for Sid’s horribly inappropriate wordplay, Justin’s youthful gleam, and my general musk (it really fills a room!).

Joking aside, we have some awesome special guests, and some niiiiice things planned for the Q&A. Seriously, bring a question, it will be worth your time. In gold bullion.

Speaking of which, now’s a great time (to invest in gold bullion, but also) to send us an e-mail or voicemail – if it’s a good one, we’ll read/play it live on the panel!

The Cast

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/29/playstation-blogcast-live-at-pax-this-weekend-come-see-us/feed/22http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Blogcast-Logo-New.jpg3.88Lead Account Manager, SCEA227The PAX Prime 2013 Guide to PlayStation Indieshttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/26/the-pax-prime-2013-guide-to-playstation-indies/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/26/the-pax-prime-2013-guide-to-playstation-indies/#commentsMon, 26 Aug 2013 17:26:11 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=114138Hello indie game fans! I’m part of our Developer Relations team that has been working hard to bring a whole mess of rad indie games to our platforms; you may have seen some of our work last week at Gamescom where we announced games like Rogue Legacy and N++ coming to PS4, or the eight indie titles we had on stage at our E3 press conference back in June.

Indie games and PAX (the Penny Arcade Expo) have always gone hand in hand, from the PAX10 to the always-amazing IndieMegaBooth; a lot of indies get their start from the word-of-mouth that buzzes around PAX, and we’re always on the hunt for new games there.

This year we thought we’d give you a nice big summary of every indie game at PAX that’s coming to PS4, PS3, PS Vita or PS Mobile, and where you can find it at the show. Behold!

Sony Booth

We have some pretty exciting things in our booth this year, including a spankin’ new Octodad: Dadliest Catch level never before shown (with some hilarious lawn-mowing), a new Sportsfriends demo to get your Super Pole Ridin’ on, Fez (!) playable and looking gorgeous on Vita, and the first hands-on with infographic adventure Metrico and Jeff Minter’s predictably trippy (but awesome) shooter, TxK. Make sure to wear the headphones!

And lastly, but most relevant for those of you who can’t make it to the show, we’re also running a great PAX sale on PSN for titles that have been showcased at previous PAXes, including 50% off (75% off for PS+ members) of games like Retro City Rampage, Closure, Dyad and more! Check out the full game list and details in the sale post.

Hope to see you at the show!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/26/the-pax-prime-2013-guide-to-playstation-indies/feed/17http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/PAX-Indie-Guide-Promo.jpg3.61Lead Account Manager, SCEA172Eufloria Blooms on PSN October 4th, Make Space in Your Intergalactic Gardenhttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/16/eufloria-blooms-on-psn-october-4th-make-space-in-your-intergalactic-garden/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/16/eufloria-blooms-on-psn-october-4th-make-space-in-your-intergalactic-garden/#commentsFri, 16 Sep 2011 19:24:19 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=59469we last spoke, but the Pub Fund group at SCEA has been hard at work on bringing interesting, exclusive content to PSN. Okabu, Papo & Yo, and more clandestine projects are still on the horizon, but today I’m here to drop the launch details for Eufloria - a very different, very special sort of strategy game.
It’s tough to distill the concept down to a couple of sentences without doing the experience a huge injustice, but this excellent trailer (above) should give you an idea of the mood and visual direction.
Now take that ethereal aesthetic, and the tingling that you’re feeling in your temples, and fold a layer of smartly accessible strategy elements over it. You’ll be exploring, conquering and colonizing enemy asteroids without the need for messy tech trees or arcane controls. ]]>Salutations! I know it’s been a while since we last spoke, but the Pub Fund group at SCEA has been hard at work on bringing interesting, exclusive content to PSN. Okabu, Papo & Yo, and more clandestine projects are still on the horizon, but today I’m here to drop the launch details for Eufloria – a very different, very special sort of strategy game.

It’s tough to distill the concept down to a couple of sentences without doing the experience a huge injustice, but this excellent trailer should give you an idea of the mood and visual direction:

Now take that ethereal aesthetic, and the tingling that you’re feeling in your temples, and fold a layer of smartly accessible strategy elements over it. You’ll be exploring, conquering and colonizing enemy asteroids without the need for messy tech trees or arcane controls. It’s a rare game that satisfies both ends of the art game/strategy game spectrum, but I think that Eufloria nails it. It’s also tunable in either direction – play on the less hectic Chilled mode to revel in the ambiance, or give Dark Matter mode a try to grit your tactical teeth.

Check out my previous post for more game details and a list of some of the huge improvements for the PS3 iteration, and be sure to leave a spot for it in your PSN library if the concept intrigues you. Eufloria will be launching October 4th for $9.99, with a trial and unlock so that everyone can give it a shot. Supporting interesting independently developed games is an important goal for us, especially amongst all the blockbuster behemoths this fall – we love bringing you this stuff, and want to do so all year round. With that said, I hope we’ll see you in a few weeks!

(P.S. The little looping song that plays on the XMB before you launch the game has served as my background music for tens of hours of work throughout the year – as you can imagine, the full soundtrack is absolutely stunning.)

The important part is that myself and a group of other SCEA folk are busy ramping up our Pub Fund program, helping independent developers to bring their games to PSN without the restraints of a traditional publisher. There are no specific criteria, outside of selecting games that we think are interesting and that we’re dying to play ourselves: Joe Danger, Hoard, Explodemon! and Tales From Space: About a Blob are recent examples that came to fruition with the aid of our program. We have a RIDICULOUSLY KILLER slate of titles lined up for the future, and we’re going to try and do a better job of giving you guys a heads-up about them so that you can share in our excitement, and hopefully help support the developers who are trying to do things a little differently.

And that brings us to Eufloria, which we’re thrilled to announce as our next Pub Fund title! Omni Systems are hard at work wrapping up a gorgeous new PS3 iteration of their ambient real-time strategy game, scheduled to hit the PlayStation Store in the latter half of June for $9.99.

The core gameplay revolves around exploring and conquering procedurally generated asteroid fields (which means that most levels will be different each time you play them), using their raw resources to grow seedlings and battle neighboring enemy forces. The ultra-minimalist aesthetic and simple mechanics make for a relaxing, accessible experience, while the devious AI and level design (something these guys know well) give it a strong tactical edge that really carries the experience. I promise that you haven’t played anything like it on PSN before; cull together bits and pieces of flOw, Mushroom Wars and Everyday Shooter and you’re on the right track…but still quite a ways off. Here’s how the developers at Omni-Labs describe the game:

Eufloria PSN isn’t really like other games. It has strategic gameplay, but no technology trees or complicated interface. It allows for exploration and expansion without being punished for small mistakes. It offers challenges that are fun, but in a style that can be described as “ambient gameplay”. There is conquest but there are no space marines in sight. Instead, all of Eufloria’s gameplay is based on growing your strategic and colonising life forms on asteroids that you conquer throughout the game. That is right: you are basically playing a game of intergalactic guerrilla gardening. Oh, and you engage in massive battles against enemy plant life.

The improvements and additions to the PS3 version are numerous – both in huge strokes and tiny tweaks – but a few highlights include:

New units: A new plant will automate troop movements, while a new tree type helps terraform asteroids (both visually and to change the attributes of the seedlings grown on it)

Improved gameplay: Including rebalanced levels, improved AI, and a new 2x game speed that works like a fast-forward button

New collectibles: Ancient Artifacts add flavor to the universe, as well as full Trophy support, natch

More music: Including 100 additional minutes of completely new music by ambient specialist Milieu (the OST is particularly gorgeous)

Enhanced graphics: Smoother, faster visuals with much more environmental and color diversity

So you’ll be getting by far the best version of the game for an awesome price, and a demo alongside it on day one in case you’re not convinced. So keep a little brainspace reserved for one of the more interesting games of the summer, and we’ll be back around E3 with some new media and a final launch date. Thanks guys!